[Stoves] Off Grid Pellitizing issues --- was Re: Bulk density of LPG vs pellets

Fri Feb 16 07:21:48 CST 2018

Interesting contribution, thanks Dr. Karve, 

What type and size are the briquettes? I assume they work as boiler fuel but not really in household size stoves? 

which again leaves the question how best  biomass /ag-waste can be transformed in the field or closer to the users into medium-high-density fuels with a predictable performance. 

what type (screw extruder? power requirement) and make/brand are the corresponding briquetting machines you are talking about?
My limited own experience with screw presses is that you need to maintain the screw nearly every day, if you want a continued performance of the briquetting machine. 

Steven, 
do you know of any of the systems you propose that are a bit fuel flexible when it comes to moisture content and particle size of the biomass input? 
and that can be run without an engineer on standby?

what I have seen in African contexts so far, especially on the gasifier / internal combustion engine set-up, is a graveyard of clogged-up engines, due to lack of gas scrubbing and/or inconsistent feedstock. They do work theoretically but I haven’t seen them in prolonged practice in countries where local languages don’t have a term for ‚preventive maintenance‘ .
would love to hear of some success stories of any kind of ongoing continued operation. 
those are the challenges I see before they can become win-win-scenarios.

Christa

> Am 16.02.2018 um 01:46 schrieb Anand Karve <adkarve at gmail.com>:
> 
> Some 150 factories in the state of Maharashtra in India are busy converting agricultural waste into fuel briquettes. The briquettes are used as industrial boiler fuel to replace imported heating oil. They are also much cheaper than fuel oil. Fuel oil costs about $1 per litre. Just 3kg briquettes, costing $0.3 give the same calorific value. The farmers get $34 per ton of agri-waste. They are happy to get additional income.Yours A.D.Karve
> 
> On 16-Feb-2018 1:10 AM, "Law, Steven (MOECC)" <Steven.Law at ontario.ca <mailto:Steven.Law at ontario.ca>> wrote:
> You can use the local biomass to make the power on a small scale!
> Even better these devices are set up to have CHP and not just power only.
> You could do a wood heating boiler - organic rankine cycle set up, or alternately a wood gasifier - internal combustion engine set up.
> The heat can be used to dry the biomass to a low moisture content to facilitate pelletizing.
> It's a win-win!
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stoves [mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org <mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org>] On Behalf Of Paul Anderson
> Sent: February 15, 2018 9:24 AM
> To: Discussion of biomass cooking stoves
> Subject: [Stoves] Off Grid Pellitizing issues --- was Re: Bulk density of LPG vs pellets
> 
> Christa and all,
> 
> You raise an excellent question.   I changed the Subject line so the we see this discussion for what it actually is:  Offgrid pelletizing for fuel.    (There are off-grid pelletizing operations for animal-feed pellets; related but some significant differences.)
> 
> I will try to bring forward some info to answer your question about who is working on this issue, but it is not my decision to release the info or not.
> 
> There are also some very related questions:
> 
> 1.  Pellet production output (size) of the units.   You gave an example of 1 ton output per hour.   Thai is not as small as it sounds (even though the big industial sites are soooooo much larger).    Assuming (this can be discussed) a household would consume 2 kg per day of pellet fuel, one ton would serve 500 households.   In a 10 hour production day, that would be supplying pellets to 5000 households (maybe 30,000 people) and need 10 tons of appropriately processed / reasonably dry biomass per day.   (If 1.5 or 2.5 or 3 kg pellet consumption per household, that would greatly change the numbers).
> Variables include the operational hours per day, and if working 5 or 6 (or 7) days.    24 working days/month would mean serving 4000 households and needing 240 tons of appropriate feedstock per month.   I would suggest that maybe half or one quarter that hourly output might be more appropriate.
> 
> 2.  Alternatives for generating the needed power if grid was not present.  We
> > are talking at least 80 kW electrical power requirement or a corresponding PTO + diesel tractor.
> 
> 3.  And certainly more aspects.
> 
> Let's see if there are some discussions and some factual inputs about this topic on this Listserv.
> 
> Paul
> 
> Doc  /  Dr TLUD  /  Prof. Paul S. Anderson, PhD
> Email:  psanders at ilstu.edu <mailto:psanders at ilstu.edu>
> Skype:   paultlud    Phone: +1-309-452-7072
> Website:  www.drtlud.com <http://www.drtlud.com/>
> 
> On 2/15/2018 5:08 AM, CHRISTA ROTH wrote:
> > Neil,
> > the answer very much depends on the access to electricity in the area of potential production: if you want to achieve a considerable / commercially viable output of pellets e.g. 1 ton/hour, you are talking at least 80 kW electrical power requirement or a corresponding PTO + diesel tractor.
> >
> > Does anybody have any off-grid pelletising success stories anywhere on this planet? Would be interested to know.
> >
> > Christa
> >
> >> Am 14.02.2018 um 22:25 schrieb neiltm at uwclub.net <mailto:neiltm at uwclub.net>:
> >>
> >> On 13 Feb 2018 at 9:15, Paul Anderson wrote:
> >>
> >>> The people have
> >>> access to locally sources woody biomass fuel, but are interested in
> >>> having some better stoves with processed fuels.
> >> Could they not make their own pellets and circumvent the problem as
> >> you pose it altogether?
> >>
> >> Neil Taylor
> >>
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